LABOUR candidates were celebrating after securing 10 of the 11 Wigan Council seats up for grabs in the Leigh area.

At this morning's votes count at Leigh Sports Village they celebrated with a 2.30am party at the nearby Park Hotel after the results of Thursday's local elections were announced at Leigh Sports Village.

They recorded almost a clean sweep gaining one seat in Tyldesley ward from the Liberal Democrats where local woman Joanne Marshall swept to victory with 1,821 votes, a majority of 1,270 over Conservative candidate Margaret Winstanley.

But the Conservatives were also celebrating after gaining a seat from Labour in Lowton East where Edward Houlton's 1,603 votes were 466 more than Labour's Eleanor Blackburn.

He will now join Conservative leader Clr James Grundy who until this morning was the Tories' only representative on Wigan Council.

Council Leader Lord Peter Smith (Labour) retained his seat in Leigh West with 2,005 votes, 1,347 more than Conservative rival Andrew Oxley.

Labour's Barry Taylor retained his seat in Astley Mosley Common with a 945 majority over Nasri Barghothi who polled 867 votes.